Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-11-25

She had been prepared for an outbreak
or exclamation from the man before her
but not for his cold silence. speak, >
she cried at last, passionately, speak
Open your lips, if only to curse me
Order in your men to arrest me viii
proclaim myself guilty and save youl
honor. But only speak"
"May l ask" said Maj Van Zandt
coldly ''why you have twice honorcd me
with a blow?n
because | loved you; because, when ]
first saw you l saw the Only man that
was my master, and 1 rebeled: bee, use,
when | found l could not help but love
you, | knew never had loved before, and
/ would wipe out with one stroke all the
past that rose in judgment against me;
because | would not have you ever con
fronted with one endearing word of mine
that was not meant for YOU
Maj. Van Zandt turned from the win
dow where he stood, and faced the girl
with sad resignation. IF / have in my
foolishness, Mistress Thankful, shown
you how great was your power over me,
when you descended to this artiiice to
spare my feelings by confessing your own
love for me, you should have remembered
that you We're doing that which forever
i
you had really loved me, your heart, as a
woman's, would have warned you against
that which my heart, as n genseman's,
has made a law of honor; when tell YOU,
rs much for the sake of relieving your
own conscience as for the sake of Justify
ing mine, that if this man, n traitor, my
prisoner, and your recognized lover, had
escaped from my custody without your
assistance, connivance, or even kruWi-
edge, | should have deemed it my d,;ly 10
forsake you until | caught him, even if
we had been standing before the altar"
Thankful heard him, but only as a
strange voice in the distance, rs she stood
with fixed eyes and breathless, parted
lips before him. Yet even then | fear
that, womanlike, she did not comprehend
his rhetoric of honor, but only caught
here and there dull, benumbing idea
that he despsed her, and that in her effort
to win his love she had killed it, and
ruined him forever.
'lf you think it strange" continued the
major, chat, believing as l do, stand
here only to utter moral aXiOms when my
duty calls me to pursue your lover, l beg
you To believ that it is only for your
sake. l wish to allow reasonable time
between your interview with him and'his
escape, lHuJ sHdll save you from any SuS-
picion of completely, Do not think he
added with a sad SMILE as the girl made
an impatient step toward him, edo not
think | am running any risk. The man
cannot escape. \ Gordon Of pickets sur
rounds the camp for many miles. lie has
not the countersign, and his face and
crime are known"
Eyes, T." said Thankful eagerly, "but n
part Of his own regiment guards the Bask-
ingridge road.n
"IIow know you this" said the major,
seizing her hand.
ole told me.h
Before she could fall on her knees and
beg his forgiveness he had darted from
the room, given an order and returned
with cheeks and eyes blazing
CLEAR me-" he said rapidly, taking the
girls two hands, ''you know not what
you've done. l forgive You, But this is
no longer matter of duty, but my per.
sonal honor. l shall pursue this man
alone. l shall return with him, or not at
all. Farewell. God bless youl"
But before he reached tho door she
caught him again. "Only say you have
forgiven me once more"